Folding litter



J. J. ETTINGER FOLDING .LITTER Dec. 24, 1940.

Filed Sept. 16, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 194i) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING LITTER Joe J. Ettinger, Warsaw, Ind; Application September 16, 1940, Serial'No.'357,062 9 Claims. (Cl. -82) This invention relates to folding litters and has side portions. l lto receive the poles. This fabric special reference to an improvement of the foldis cut away as at IE to provide clearance for the ing litter shown and described in my co-pending joints H.

application for patent for Invalid litter, filed Screwed or otherwise secured to the under side 5 August 5, 1940, and bearing the Serial Number of each pole adjacent the handle portions there- 5 351,489. of is a pair of saddles l6. On each of these sad- In the aforesaid co-pending application was dl'es is mounted a swivelling block W having a the concept, in general, to provide legs for such pin 18 connected to the saddle whereon it is a litter so constructed that upon collapse of the mounted. This pin I8 may be either a screw,

litter such legs might each be manually moved berivet or other suitable means. Extending from 10 tween folded and inactive position and active end to end of each block is a bore wherethrough position for supporting the litter when placed passes a bolt 20 which projects at each end beon the ground or other supporting surface. yond the block l'l. On each bolt ZB is mounted It is the principal object of the present invena stirrup-like leg 2 l, the arms of the leg being tion to provide a novel construction of a folding mounted on respective ends of the bolt. Each 15 or collapsible litter wherein legs will be provided leg 2| has one arm provided with a flat end face for supporting the litter and which legs will be 22 which, when the block I! is turned to lie automatically moved, without manual int'ervenlengthwise of the saddle it, rests on the fiat face tion, into litter supporting position upon opening 23 of said saddle so that the leg cannot rotate 30 of the litter. on the bolt 20. However, the block l'l, when A further object of the invention is to provide turned to extend across the saddle I6, is of sufiimeans whereby the legs will automatically colcient length to support the saddle legs (as shown lapse when side bars of the litter are moved toin Figure 1) free of the saddle so that the leg ward each other. may be turned down as in Figures 1 and 2.

25 With the above and other objects in view, the In order to make-provision for automatically 5 invention consists in general of certain novel shifting the position of the blocks IT as the litter details of construction and combinations of parts is collapsed and opened, each block 11 has pivothereinafter fully described, illustrated in the aced thereto one end of a stretcher bar consisting companying drawing and particularly pointed out of apair of sections 24. These sections are conin the appended claims. 7 nected centrally of the bar by a pivot 25, and one 30 In the accompanying drawing like characters of these sections is provided with a square end of reference indicate like parts in the several 26 while the othersection has a shoulder 21 views, andagainst which the square end 26 engages when Figure l is a perspective view of one of the legs the litter is expanded thus preventing accidental of the improved litter in its folded position. collapse.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the leg moved It .is to be observed that the saddle 23is of partially into position for use. I less width at the portion whereon the stirrup 2| Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the lowfolds as indicated at 28 while at its opposite ends er part of the leg when the leg is in fullpositionthe saddle is provided with a projecting portion 40 for use. 29 separated from the portion 28 by the notch 40 Figure 4 illustrates a modification of the inven- 30. Now the width of the saddle at the portion tion whereby collapse of the litter will effect fold- '28 is such as to permitthe folding downward, as ing of the legs on the litter poles. shown in Figure l, of the leg 2| substantially Figure 5 is a perspective View of a litterproagainst the respective pole ID. The projection vided with the present leg arrangement, the view at 29 of the saddle is such that when the leg 2| being taken from the under side of the litter. is folded downwardly, as' in Figure 1, the lower Figure 6 is a plan View of a saddle used herecorner of this leg, adjacent the notch 30, will lie in below the top surface 23 of the saddle. The bolt in the embodiment of the invention as dis-.' 20 is off-set from the center line of the leg 2| closed in the drawing the litter is provided with to permit the lower edge of one of these legs, as 50 poles lil each of which is provided centrally with 3!, to project downwardly in such position that, a joint H of a type which is foldable only in one upon swinging of the block l1 in expansion of direction. These poles are provided at their ends the litter the lower corner of the leg 3| will enwith handles I2. The. usual fabric strip I3 0011- gage'against the projecting portion 23 of the nects the poles 10, being provided with tubular saddle and thereby cause tilting of'the leg 2| 55 into a right angled position with respect to said saddle.

The other side of the leg is shown at 32 and on this side the corner of the leg is rounded as at 33 so a to permit easy operation of the leg 2| when the litter is opened. This side of the leg is pivoted on the bolt 20 so that it is above the surface 23 of the saddle and consequently does not interfere with the swivelling of the block I1.

Now under these circumstances it will be observed from Figure 1 that the leg 2| has a corner 34 which, upon shifting of the block I! from the position shown in Figure 1 to that shown in Figure 3, will contact with the projecting portion 29 of the saddle and thereby the leg 2| will be moved to an erect position at right angles to the saddle It. In this position the flat portion of the leg 2!, indicated at 22, will contact with the upper face of the saddle 23 and be held thereby at right angles to such saddle.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4 there is provided a biasing torsion spring 35 which tends at all times to move the leg 2| into parallelism with the pole it] carrying the respective leg. However the movement of the separation of the poles l-O will effect movement of the legs 2| against the action of said springs.

Thus whenever the poles it are spread apart to set up the litter the legs 2| will be automatically moved into litter supporting position, while in the form shown in Figure 4 spring 35 will automatically effect folding of the legs 2| against the poles It).

In accordance with the foregoing and referring especially to Figure 1 it will be seen that upon spreading of the poles It the corners 34 of the respective legs will engage against the projecting portions 29 of the saddles, whereby the legs 2| will be, as shown in Figure 2, tilted upwardly or at right angles to the poles iii.

Further spreading movement of the poles. l will cause the squared end portions of the legs 2| to engage the flat upper surfaces of the saddles 23 so that these legs will be prevented from collapsing. it will be seen that the spring 2-5 of each leg constantly tends to swing this leg on the bolt 28 into its collapsed position against the respective poles Ill. Therefore when the poles 59 are moved toward each other the spring 35 acts to effect folding of the legs 2| against such poles.

It will be obvious that the bar sections 24 act, when the litter is expanded by moving the poles l0 apart, to cause rotation of the blocks l-land thereby move these blocks and the legs 2| pivoted thereto into and out of litter supporting position.

What I claim is: 1

1. In a folding litter a pair of side poles, a fabric connecting said side poles, a pair ofsaddles on each side pole, swivelling blocks each mounted on a respective saddle, legs pivoted to said swivelling blocks, co-operative means between each leg and its saddle whereby swivelling of the block on the saddle will cause erection of said leg, other co-operating' means associated with each leg and its saddle andarranged to resist folding of the leg in one direction from erect position, and stretcher bars connecting the blocks of one pole with the blocks of the other and arranged to cause swivelling of said blocks as the poles are moved toward and from each other.

2. In a folding litter a pair of side poles, a

fabric connecting said side poles, a pair of sad- With special reference to Figure 4,

dles on each side pole, swivelling blocks each mounted on a respective saddle, legs pivoted to said swivelling blocks and co-operative means between each leg and its saddle whereby swivelling of the block on the saddle will cause erection of said leg, other means whereby swivelling of the blocks in the opposite direction will effect movement of the legs into substantial parallelism with the poles and stretcher bars connecting the blocks of one pole with the blocks of the other and arranged to cause swivelling of said blocks as the poles are moved toward and from each other.

3. A leg structure for collapsing litters having a pair of side poles and a fabric connecting the same, said leg structure comprising a saddle fixed on the under side of a pole, a swiveling block pivoted on said saddle, a bolt extending longitudinally through said swiveling block, a leg having arms pivoted on said bolt, said leg having its arms of such width as to fold over the saddle upon the swiveling block moving to extend transversely thereof, said saddle having means for engagement with an arm of the leg upon movement of the block in one direction whereby to move the leg into litter supporting position, and means to effect swiveling of the block upon spreading of the poles from each other.

4. A leg structure for collapsing litters having a pair of side poles and a fabric connecting the same, said leg structure comprising a saddle fixed on the under side of a pole, a swiveling block pivoted on said saddle, a bolt extending longitudinally through said swiveling block, a leg having arms pivoted on said bolt, said leg having its arms of such width as to fold over the saddle upon the swiveling block moving to extend transversely thereof, said saddle having means for engagement with 2. arm of the leg upon movement of the block in one direction whereby to move the leg into litter supporting position, means to effect swiveling of the block upon spreading of the poles from each other, and a spring urging said leg into housing position and operable upon collapse of the litter.

5. In a collapsible litter including a pair of poles anda fabric connection between said poles, elongated saddles secured to the under side of said poles, an elongated swivel block pivoted on each saddle and having a length at least as great as the transverse dimensions of the saddle, a leg having a pair of arms pivotally connected toopposite ends of said block, the end of one of said arms being flat and resting on the lower face of the saddle upon the block being in position longitudinally of the saddle, means for swivelling said blocks on said saddles upon collapsing and expanding movement of said litter, and co -operating means on each leg and its saddle engaging upon swivelling of the blocks and moving the legs from folded to erect position.

6. In a'collapsible litter including a pair of poles and a fabric connection between said poles, elongated saddles secured to the under side of said poles, an elongated swivel block pivoted on each saddle and having a length at least as great as the transverse dimension of the saddle, a leg having a pair 0 farms pivotally connected to opposite ends of .said block, the end of one of said arms being fiat and resting, on the lower face of the saddle upon the block being in position longitudinally of the saddle, jointed litter rods each having its ends connected to a pair of said swivel blocks and acting to swing said swivel blocks on their pivots as the litter is moved between ex- Tpanded and collapsed positions, and co-operating means on each leg and its saddle engaging upon swivelling of the blocks and moving the legs from folded to erect position.

'7. In a collapsible litter including a pair of poles and a fabric connection between said poles, elongated saddles secured to the under side of said poles, an elongated swivel block pivoted on each saddle and having a length at least as great as the transverse dimensions of the saddle, a leg having a pair of arms pivotally connected to opposite ends of said block, the end of one of said arms being fiat and resting on the lower face of the saddle upon the block being in position 15] longitudinally of the saddle, said pivot blocks being of less length than said saddles, and means to swing said swivel blocks on their pivots as the litter is moved between expanded and collapsed positions, and co-operating means on each leg and its saddle engaging upon swivelling of the blocks and moving the legs from folded to erect position.

8. In a collapsible litter including a pair of poles and a fabric connection between said poles, elongated saddles secured to the under side of said poles, an elongated swivel block pivoted on each of said saddles and having a length at least as great as the transverse dimension of the saddle, a leg having a pair of arms pivotally con- 30 nected to opposite ends of said block, the end of one of said arms being fiat and resting on the lower face of the saddle upon the block being in position longitudinally of the saddle, said pivot blocks being of less length than said saddles, means for swivelling said blocks on said saddles upon collapsing and expanding movement of said litter, and co-operating means on each leg and its saddle engaging upon swivelling of the blocks and moving the legs from folded to erect position.

9. In a collapsible litter including a pair of poles and a fabric connection between said poles, elongated saddles secured to the under side of said poles, an elongated swivel block pivoted on each saddle and having a length at least as great as the transverse dimension of the saddle, a leg having a pair of arms pivotally connected toopposite ends of said block, the ends of one of said arms being flat and resting on the lower face of the saddle upon the block being in position longitudinally of the saddle, said pivot blocks being of less length than said saddles, jointed stretcher rods each having its ends connected to a pair of said swivel blocks and acting to swing said swivel blocks on their pivots as the litter is moved between expanded and collapsed position, and co-operating means on each leg and its saddle engaging upon swivelling of the blocks and moving the legs from folded to erect position.

J Oil J. E ITINGER. 

